Yodajammies
Sr Member
Until the cost of the 3d printing goes down to the cost of paper, no way in hell is it gonna kill off pep.
Speak of the devil...
Mcor Technologies | 3D Printing and Rapid Prototyping
Until the cost of the 3d printing goes down to the cost of paper, no way in hell is it gonna kill off pep.
If I have access to 3D printing, i would only print very small detailed parts, wich are impossible to make by hand. But i will NEVER print a full Prop and i will NEVER give someone respect for a prop that is made by a machine... (Thats the reason i hate NECA Props)
Sure 3D printing is much easier and faster, then the whole Pepakura progress, but where is the skill? Where is the work? And where is the fun, when a machine does your work?
See it that way:
You can buy a ready-mix-cake package and only put it in the oven
OR
you make the whole cake yourself!
I think I will use Pepakura as long as I make Props, because then i get respect for that what I have done and have fun.
I think you seem to be discounting the number of hours and amount of work and skill that's required to make a detailed, accurate 3D model. Have you ever done any 3D modeling before? Because it's not simple.
And as has been said before, it is many, many years before 3D printers can print 100% "ready to use" objects. 3D printed prop parts still need cleanup and sanding and filling and all of those "traditional" techniques.
As someone who studied to be a professional model builder, I can say people have been saying for years and years and years that 3-D printing will take over. Realistically all of these 3-D print builds look poor simply because of the process. A $2000 FDM printer can't even compare to an SLA or SLS machine, and even then it can't compare will machined parts.
There's a reason why professionals call it "rapid prototyping" because it is rapid. It is almost always a quick test or concept. Very few professional models are made through 3-D printing, it does have it place though. There are some parts that simply can't be made any other way.
As for comparing it to pep, I don't think there's any reason to make that comparison. People make pep either because they don't want to shell out big bucks for parts or because they enjoy the process. As for me, I have a strong machining background. People think I just throw parts on the mill, that is not the case there is a lot of work to be done, and I really enjoy that work. I've never done pep but i'm sure people do enjoy working with their hands, not pressing print and getting a part in the mail a week later that they sand and finish. I feel if 3-D printing does take over this community it will be bad for it, I think a lot of hand skills will go down the drain.